World needs global climate leadership from EU – and to continue UN talks

21.12.2009

The EU should continue leading by example despite the failure of the UN climate talks, the wind industry says. Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of EWEA, said: “The world needs global climate leadership from the EU in 2010 more than ever, now that the other super-powers have shown their lack of ambition.

"The Copenhagen Accord is the lowest common denominator which China and the United States could agree. The text did not produce a legally binding treaty or deliver a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The only thing it achieved was a commitment-free text “to hold the increase in global temperature below 2°C." The rest of the world, including the EU which had offered to cut carbon by 30% compared to 1990 levels if there was strong global deal, could only take it or leave it. China and the US established a new world order in Copenhagen.

“The European Wind Energy Association urges world leaders to work tirelessly on reaching a legally binding international treaty as soon as possible next year, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 30% by 2020. The clock is ticking, immediate action is required, and we are running out of time,” Kjaer said.

EWEA is the voice of the wind industry, actively promoting wind power in Europe and worldwide. It has over 600 members, which are active in over 50 countries, making EWEA the world's largest and most powerful wind energy network.